On the Down Beat

70 Years of the Niagara Symphony Orchestra

This exhibit documents and celebrates the 70-year history of the Niagara Symphony Orchestra. We invite you to explore the Orchestra’s development from a community orchestra established in 1948, through our exciting transition to a fully professional ensemble in the 1970’s. Relive the orchestra’s 2015 debut in the new performing arts centre in St. Catharines, Ontario. Seventy years of stories, celebrating community connections, musicians, guest artists, and education and outreach initiatives have been included. We are proud to share a retrospective of one of the oldest cultural institutions in the Niagara Region. The exhibit also illustrates the other cultural groups that developed under the umbrella of the NSO, such as Chorus Niagara and the Niagara Youth Orchestra.

“Music is not a luxury, but a cultural necessity”Leonard Pearlman, Conductor 1958-1964